Dassault Mirage IIICJ 768, Israeli Air Force, The "First Jet" Squadron

Product description

High quality metal model of the Dassault Mirage IIICJ 768 military fighter, Israeli Air Force, The "First Jet" Squadron, Ramat David AB, December 1970. Die-cast metal construction with some plastic components. Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details. Pad-printed markings and labels that will not fade or peel like stickers, with stand, with antenna, with landing gear

The Dassault Mirage III is a family of single/two-seat single-engine combat aircraft developed and manufactured by the French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. It was the first Western European combat aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in level flight, which it achieved on October 24, 1958.

In 1952, the French government issued its specification calling for a lightweight all-weather fighter. Among the respondents was Dassault with its design, originally known as the Mirage I. After favourable flight tests conducted during 1954, in which speeds of up to Mach 1.6 were achieved, it was decided that a larger follow-on aircraft would be developed. It would have to carry the necessary equipment and payload. An enlarged Mirage II design was considered, as was the MD 610 Cavalier (3 versions), but was discarded in favour of a further developed design, powered by a newly developed Snecma Atar afterburning turbojet engine, designated the Mirage III. In October 1960, the first large production model, designated the Mirage IIIC, made its maiden flight. The first operational deliveries of this model began in July 1961; a total of 95 Mirage IIICs were acquired by the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air, AdA). The Mirage IIIC was quickly followed by many other variants.